


The cost of going back in time

by riddlesprites



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:15:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23205322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riddlesprites/pseuds/riddlesprites
Summary: Boruto comes back from the past but Naruto's explanation of the Uchiha clan being killed continues to haunt him. Boruto starts to ask questions and the adults scramble to find an answer.AKA Boruto/Sarada/etc reaction to truths from the past and the parents being forced to explain inconvenient truths to their kids.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	The cost of going back in time

Naruto yawned as he swung open the door to his house. It had been another long day working, and for not the first time Naruto wondered if his child self would have wanted to become Hokage if he knew what exactly it would entail. Maybe his end goals would have been different. As it was he was barely stepping into his own home before midnight and his grumbling stomach was reminding him of the microwave ramen that had made up his dinner. He hoped there were leftovers. 

He kicked his shoes off and walked through to the kitchen only to see his son sitting at the table with a book in front of him. Naruto was a bit taken aback but regained his composure quickly and smiled. “Up late with homework? Did Konohamaru give you some? I don’t think Kakashi sensei ever gave me any reading...” he rambled as he headed towards the fridge to grab dinner and turn to throw it into the microwave. He mentally thanked Hinata for saving him leftovers again. “Not that I didn’t read as a kid, I read tons of books.” Boruto still hadn’t responded by the time Naruto turned the microwave on. He glanced over to see his son anxiously staring back at him, book closed and off to the side. 

“Everything ok?” 

Boruto’s eyes shifted down to the table to avoid Naruto’s gaze.

Naruto sighed and took a step towards the table before Boruto’s eyes shot back up.

“You should eat.”

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck and moved to get his now warmed food from the microwave. His own son was even starting to look after him. “You know I’m the one who is supposed to do the parenting.” He said jokingly, trying to lift the mood. Was he really that bad at taking care of himself? He ate ramen at the office, it wasn’t like he didn’t eat. 

“Yeah, well, you didn’t really get much training in that.”   
Ah. Was this something regarding the time travel adventure he went on? Naruto fidgeted a bit. They had spoken some regarding it but it was still such a strange concept that his son had met him over ten years ago. ‘God I was so uncool then’ Naruto moaned internally. Kurama unhelpfully snorted agreement. But Boruto had also seen him as the poor orphan who was just

Alone.

Naruto winced thinking about it as he moved to the table and sat across from his son. Borutos arms were crossed, blue eyes locked on his father.

“So,” Naruto tried to start the conversation “What do you want to know? Something about my cool days before becoming Hokage?” 

Boruto shuffled in his seat a bit. “Maybe finish before we talk?”

Naruto pointed his chopsticks at his son, speaking through a full mouth. “Honestly Boruto I can talk and eat you know.” His mumbled words didn’t exactly prove his point but he figured Boruto could understand him.

Boruto glared back at his dad “Yeah, but it's gross.”

Naruto sighed and quickly shoved his midnight dinner down his throat.

\----

“You know how I went back in time?”   
Naruto nodded. “Yeah, it's still a crazy idea to me.” Maybe he could ask Sasuke to restore the memories somehow. He’d really like to remember interacting with his son as a kid.

Boruto crossed his arms “Well, I met Jiraya-san and Neji and everyone.” He pointed at his father “You specifically were a handful.”

Naruto sighed knowingly but let his son continue. 

“But Sasuke-sensei had already left the village.” Naruto cringed, now understanding what Boruto wanted to discuss. He had hoped to avoid this conversation, hoped that Konoha could leave what happened with the Uchiha clan in the past and not dredge up old painful memories. 

“You said bringing him back to Konoha was the main reason you trained so hard.” Boruto stared directly into his father's eyes, watching for a reaction. His father's eyes were growing wide and Boruto took that as a reason to continue on.“Not that you talk about it. I didn’t even know he left. I didn’t know anything.” 

Naruto took a deep breath, this was going too far into territory he didn’t know how to approach, but Boruto jumped in before he could speak.

“You said he went to live with Orochimaru. Mitsukis dad. I’ve been to Orochimarus, and hes a bit of a weirdo… but still I went and it wasn’t a big deal. You didn’t chase me down.” 

“Orochimaru and the village haven’t always been on the best of terms,” An understatement Boruto rolled his eyes at.

“Wouldn’t it have, I don’t know, maybe been nice for us to know he kidnapped ninja for fun back when you were a kid? That he was a huge threat? How come none of us know anything?!” Boruto was getting heated, frustrated. Naruto couldn’t blame him. Deciding to hide Konoha’s past hadn’t been the easiest choice but it was the best of the shitty alternatives. 

“Not only that, you told me Sasuke’s family was killed. The whole Uchiha clan.” Naruto was kicking his younger self, god why couldn’t he keep his stupid mouth shut. Shikamaru was going to have a field day with this. And he could hear the hurt in his son’s voice, the underlying questions present. An entire clan, gone? Could the Hyuga clan be decimated as easily? Naruto didn’t belong to a clan with a presence in Konoha, he hadn’t understood the depth of what that meant until his marriage to Hinata and subsequent involvement with her family. Having a clan vanish into thin air must have been horrifying. His son would be rightfully shaken by the idea.

“No one talks about it.” Boruto continued, voice growing more emotional “It’s like they didn’t even exist.” He took a deep breath and continued “And you said Sasuke had someone he blamed for it. Someone killed them and that’s why he left. He wanted revenge.” Boruto sounded confused, trying to make sense of what the Naruto in the past had told him. “I know Sasuke now and that’s not who he is anymore but… Dad, what happened in the past? Why is everything such a big secret?” 

Itachi was a subject Naruto was in no way ready to discuss with his son now. If ever. Sasuke’s life as a rogue ninja was a bit more palpable but he didn’t want to chance messing up their dynamic. Boruto and Sasuke had connected quickly and it wasn’t every ninja that Naruto trusted his son learning under. And, honestly, having a student had been really good for Sasuke. He didn’t want either of them to lose that bond.

“Maa.. It’s complicated Boruto.” He leaned his head onto his good arm and rubbed his head.

Boruto glared back at his father, a challenge. He wasn’t going to back down on this. And Naruto had to admit , if some ninja came in and discussed those months when Sasuke was a wanted criminal at least some of the younger ninja should know what to make of it.

“Have you considered asking Sasuke?” Naruto asked, curious how he was getting the brunt of the questions that were decidedly not about him. Boruto’s glare dulled.

“Are you kidding me. He’s barely around as it is, I’m not going to scare him off asking him about this stuff. He was cagey enough about it in the past.” Then they both agreed to avoid asking Sasuke about it. Good. He was liable to run off on an extended mission if Boruto dug too deep.

“You however are the Hokage and are stuck here. I can keep asking you until I get answers.” His son’s expression changed a bit, lightening some “Besides dad I get maybe as a kid I couldn’t hear what happened but I am older. And it’s really important to me that I do know.” 

Naruto sighed again but nodded. 

“Let me think of the best way...” Boruto looked unimpressed. “I don’t know how to explain it right now. And I need to talk to Sakura-” Boruto raised his eyebrows, realizing something he should have thought of weeks ago.

“Sarada doesn’t know.” Boruto said, stunned. Both sat in silence for a minute, contemplating their friends' family dynamic. “She doesn’t know he left.” Boruto repeated, copying his father's actions and resting his head in his hand. “How? I tried to ask her but I thought she was just ignoring me...” His son looked horrified.

Naruto groaned. “It’s complicated.”

That summed up the Uchiha family.

“I’ll come up with something.” Naruto finished with, lamely. He knew this wasn’t enough to satiate his son but it was the best he could give him. Boruto nodded, barely registering his father’s words. “How about we get to bed?” 

Boruto trudged up to his room, lost in thought. Naruto put the dishes in the sink and, yawning, headed up to his room.


End file.
